Hampden County Radio Association Foxbox #1 Has Escaped its Den and is Ready For a Springtime Fox Hunt

Ken Dion, KD1KU, writes on the WMAFoxHunters mailing list on April 15, 2022:

As of 4 pm, Friday, April 15th, HCRA Foxbox #1 is back in hiding! The weather has drastically improved and it’s the perfect time for a Springtime Fox Hunt! This is also a good opportunity for base stations to give signal reports and a direction if possible. It’s just as important for the hunters to know where it cannot be heard too.

That diabolical fox is running the usual one watt into an 18 inch antenna. I was able to activate it running 50 watts from my mobile in Chicopee near the intersection of Memorial Drive (Rte.33) and Pendleton Ave.

You can activate the fox by going on the 2-meter simplex frequency of 147.55 MHz (PL 100.0Hz), key your transmitter, identify yourself with your callsign, and then press the DTMF “1”.

If the Fox can hear you and you can hear it, you will hear its very distinctive sound. It will transmit for 30 seconds, ID, then repeat 2 more times and then go back to sleep. You can make it transmit as often as necessary to find it.

Do not reveal its location, just a location (and direction if possible) from which you are able to hear it. This then becomes a starting point for the other fox hunters to use.

You do not have to touch the Foxbox to claim finding it. Eyeball contact is sufficient and a photo that shows the Fox is a plus. It is located less than 500 feet from a safe parking location.

Announce it here and on https://groups.io/g/WMAFoxHunters that you’ve found it with any comments you may have other than its exact location. Please take a photo of the fox box and post the pic and any comments to announce that you have found the fox. Do not give away its location in the picture!

It’s in a publicly accessible location with safe parking nearby. Getting to the FB requires a short walk on mostly flat ground.

Happy Fox Hunting!

73, Ken ~ KD1KU
Zero Beat Editor
Join Hampden County Radio Association
Visit HCRA.org

Groton (MA) Road Race, May 15, 2022

Ralph Swick, KD1SM, writes:

** Groton Road Race scheduled for Sunday May 15, 2022 **

The Groton Road Race (Groton MA) is back!  May 15 will be the 29th running of this event. The Groton Police Department and the Race Director have again requested our Amateur Radio communication support this year.

We will be supporting the two main races in this event; the 5k and 10k. The communications support that we provide starts around 9am and we should be done shortly after 1pm.

The event committee is not requiring volunteers to be vaccinated or to wear masks.  You are certainly welcome to wear a mask and/or maintain distancing if you wish.

The Groton Road Race continues to be a major event for Amateur Radio in North Central Massachusetts.  Those of you who have joined us in previous years know that the runners sincerely appreciate our presence.  Many say so as they run past.  This event is so large that Police Departments and other public safety organizations from several communities come to assist the Groton PD.  Part of our role is to provide the communications from the Groton Police to these out-of-town officers who come to help with this event.

Contributing to the public good is one of the reasons Amateur Radio exists.  Our public service events are a key opportunity for us to show our colors, volunteer our skills and equipment, and demonstrate why it is in the public’s interest to continue to allocate precious RF spectrum to our the Amateur Radio Service.  The Groton Road Race is a low-stress event and a great way to gain more experience with the public service aspect of amateur radio.  Please consider joining us on the 15th.

If you are a new Ham or know of another Ham who is interested in helping at these events but unsure of what is expected or what equipment may be needed, please do not hesitate to introduce the to me.

The Race Committee and the Groton Police Department repeatedly praise and express their appreciation for our assistance in providing communications for this event for many years.  if you are interested in joining the communication crew this year, please let me know.

Thanks and 73,
-Ralph kd1sm@arrl.net

[1] http://www.n1nc.org/Events/
[2] http://grotonroadrace.com/

 

New England QSO Party, May 7-8, 2022

Paul Gayet, AA1SU, writes on the Vermont ARRL Members List:

Here is a message from Tom Frenaye K1KI about the upcoming New England QSO Party.  Below that, I have added some of my own notes.

The New England QSO Party on May 7th and 8th is a great time to check out antenna systems and offers a moderately paced opportunity to work new states and countries. You’ll find a wide variety of participants, from newcomers to experienced contesters, all interested in making contacts with New England stations.

Our goal is to get every one of the 67 counties in New England on the air so we hope you will encourage your friends to join in the fun! Even if you can join the fun for a couple of hours, we’d appreciate it! Will you be QRV? Let us know with a message to info@neqp.org.

The New England QSO Party is 20 hours long overall, in two sections with a civilized break for sleep on Saturday night.  It runs from 4 pm Saturday until 1 am Sunday, then 9 am Sunday until 8 pm Sunday.  Operate on CW, SSB and/or digital modes on 80-40-20-15-10 meters.  For each QSO you’ll give your callsign, a signal report and your county/state.  Top scorers can earn a plaque and everyone who sends in a log with 25 or more QSOs will get a certificate.  The goal is to work stations anywhere in the world – and their goal is to work New England stations, so you’ll be very popular!

Last year we had logs from 947 stations from around the country and world. 

The full rules are here -> https://neqp.org/rules/

The full 2021 results were posted a couple of weeks ago – https://neqp.org/2021-new-england-qso-party/

It’s just three weeks until the 2022 NEQP.  Please get on and make some QSOs even if you don’t want to send in a log!

Thanks!

73 Tom/K1KI

There will be 3 other QSO Parties going on this weekend at varying times.  They are Indiana, Delaware, and the 7QP.  The 7QP is similar to the NEQP in that all the states in seven land will be on the air.

If you are using N1MM+ to log the contest, choose ‘QSO Party’ from the list, then ‘NEWE’ from the drop down box.  The advantage to using N1MM+ is that is will score these other 3 contests for you.  In the Exchange Box, enter exactly what the station sends you.  When the tests are over, you simply send the same Cabrillo file to each log checker, and they will score it for you.

——————————————————————–
ARRL Vermont Section
Section Manager: Paul N Gayet, AA1SU
aa1su@arrl.org
——————————————————————–

Department of Defense Zoominar for Communications Exercise, April 21, 2022

Tom Kinahan writes:

On Thursday 21 April at 8 pm ET representatives from the US Army Network Enterprise Technology Command will give an unclassified presentation to review the concept of the upcoming DoD Exercise 22-2 which will take place from 2-7 May.

Army representatives will briefly describe the concept of the exercise and how amateurs and Auxiliary communications personnel can participate in this training event.

Zoom info:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86398593554?pwd=OHhCR0xZOXNvb3M2bGphdXFzbVNHZz09

For more information connect to:

https://www.dodmars.org/mars-comex-information-website/dod-comex-22-2-zoominar-information

Tom Kinahan

US Army Military Auxiliary Radio System
Region One Director
aaa1rd at usamars.us

NE-ECAPS Group Meeting, April 14, 2022

Cory Golob, KU1U, writes:

The New England EmComm & Public Service Group will hold an online meeting on April 14, 2022 from 7:30 – 9:00 PM ET. 

Agenda:

NTS Discussion (45 minutes):

  • Formation of “The Future of NTS” Team – Marcia Forde KW1U
  • Opportunity to gather input for the Future of NTS Team
  • Army MARS Traffic Handling update? – Charles Rocheleau, W1CPR & Steve Hansen, KB1TCE? Could either or both of you speak to this topic?

Other EMCOMM/Public Service Related Discussion (45 minutes):

  • Reminder of Working Group Meeting: Training Programs for New Hams in EMCOMM/Public Service – Rob Macedo, KD1CY
  • Discussion on 2022 Simulated Emergency Test plans (Have Sections started planning?) – Open Forum
  • Places for improvement on Public Service Events (do any sections need assistance in any areas for Public Service related events?) – Open Forum

 

[Contact Cory Golob for Zoom invite details.]

73 DE KU1U
Cory Golob <ku1u@nediv.arrl.org>
ARRL New England Assistant Director, EMCOMM and Public Service

Early Radio Film Comes to Yale University

"Invisible Threads From Wireless to War posterEd Snyder, W1YSM, writes:

   Linda Lee writes on the W1YU-officers mailing list:

Hello ham radio enthusiasts:

I wanted to let you know about a sneak preview screening happening at the Davies Auditorium on May 3, 2022 at 7:30 pm. The film INVISIBLE THREADS – From Wireless to War is about the early development of wireless technology and features Tesla, Marconi and a mysterious German wireless plant called Telefunken, which secretly aided the German military effort during WWI.

Ham radio expert Charles Apgar is also featured.

After the screening, filmmaker Joseph Sikorski (Tower to the People) will participate in a Q&A session.

Please feel free to spread this information to anyone you think might be interested. 

You can see the trailer & register for the free event here:

https://www.InvisibleThreadsFilm.com/yale

I hope to see you there!

All the best,

Linda Lee

ARRL New England Division Leaders Honor the Providence Radio Association for 100 Years of ARRL Affiliation

A sizable crowd of in-person and remote members were on-hand to welcome New England Division Director Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, and Vice Director Phil Temples, K9HI, at a special meeting of the Providence Radio Association in Johnston, Rhode Island on April 12. Kemmerer and Temples presented the club with a plaque and special certificate honoring PRA on its 100 years of  ARRL affiliation.  Club members also heard a presentation by Kemmerer on the new ARRL Club Grant program.

Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, presenting to PRA members
Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC, presenting to PRA members about the new ARRL Club Grant Program. (K9HI photo)
100th Anniversary Commemorative Plaque and Board Minute Certificate. L-R: David (“Tess”) Tessitore, K1DT; John R. Winman, KZ1K (seated); Fred Kemmerer, AB1OC; Phil Temples, K9HI. (PRA photo)
ARRL 100th Anniversary Affiliation Plaque. (PRA photo)